Christopher Robell, a retired CFO and resident of Redwood City in San Mateo County, has retracted his lawsuit against the county’s chief elections officer, Mark Church. The case, which focused on transparency issues of ballot labels for two key school bond measures, was dismissed over concerns regarding potential financial liabilities and costs.
Robell's decision comes after a nearly year-long dispute centered on Sequoia Union High School District Measure W and Redwood City School District Measure S, substantial school bonds totaling $889.5 million. He initially contested the 75-word ballot labels for these measures, deeming them misleading, particularly in their presentation of how the funds would be utilized.
Under the settlement agreement, Robell dismissed his appeal with prejudice, meaning he cannot refile it regarding the November 2022 election or the issues raised in the original election contest. He filed his appeal in June 2023.
County Attorney John Nibbelin said the county was "pleased that this appeal has been dismissed and that the will of the voters in their approval of the school bonds authorized by Measures S and W will be implemented."
"This outcome upholds the trial court’s well-reasoned decision concluding that Mr. Robell’s post-election challenge lacked merit on both the law and the facts and that Mr. Church complied with the law," Nibbelin said.
Robell filed his original case in March 2023, but the case on May 10 was dismissed by Superior Court Judge Nicole Healy, who said Robell's allegations were " wholly unsubstantiated." She said that Robell failed to present any evidence demonstrating that the purportedly flawed ballot labels had any impact on the election results.
Despite dropping the case, Robell said he is adamant about the seriousness of his concerns.
"This is not a frivolous case. It's about honesty and transparency in elections," he said. "It's not realistic or logical for one individual to bear the cost of this fight, but the problem persists."
He said he would continue expressing his First Amendment rights regarding these school bonds or future elections.
Measure S, a $298 million bond for the Redwood City Elementary School District, and Measure W, a $591.5 million bond for the Sequoia Union High School District, both passed with overwhelming voter support in November 2022.
